A Stirred Memory
by Orion Black
Summary: Sirius recieves a visitor in azkaban. Later on, he goes in search of Peter and to protect his newly re-discovered daughter and his godson from him. PG13 for swearing and adult themes.


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Orion Black Presents

A Stirred Memory

All of the Parts!!

Author's Note (Don't you hate reading author's notes? I hate writing them!): Hello all. These are all the parts of my story, A Stirred Memory. This is a heavily edited version, because I have corrected all the careless mistakes that you clever people have pointed out. The different colours represent the change in third person point of view. 

I have also put what the character is thinking, in a different colour, too. 

Part One: Recollections

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Sirius Black shivered in the darkness. A whole potrol of Dementors glided past - leaving a whole lot of bad memories scattered in his head in their wake. Sirius wanted to scream, to do anything to express how he felt. But that would only attract Dementors and leave him in a more badly condition. 

A group of people walked past - sane ones. Sirius scambled up from his pallet, and raised his head up to the large, barred, high window. 

What he saw made him gasp. There were about 20 or so children standing in the corridor. Children - the ages ranging from 12 to 17. A guard was talking to them, but one girl wasn't listening. She was gazing around, completely unaffected by the Dementors. She looked like she had just stepped out of a muggle comic book. She had a cat's tail and ears, cat-like black eyes, and was wearing the shortest skirt and smallest top that Sirius had ever seen. She was also wearing knee-high boots and black gloves that almost went up to her elbows. She looked elegant in a trashy kind of way.

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What kind of a parent would let their kid wear that kind of outfit? Then he realised. This was the local witch and wizard orphanage. They must be on a field trip. He was watching the girl again, as she curled up the end of her tail on the ground, and put all of her weight on it. She crossed her legs and her eyes looked piercingly into each cell. Then they rested on Sirius. 

Orion and her friends, Prowler, Weyr and Mingle, walked into Azkaban with the rest of the kids. She let her psychic barrier that was protecting her and her friends from the Dementors, fall away. Weyr promptly burst into tears and Mingle comforted her. Prowler rolled her eyes at Orion.

Orion was not affected by this change in the slightest. She liked depressing things. Other kids from the orphanage had always called her the 'Human Dementor'. She liked Psycho better though. Psycho was her nickname because she was telepathic and telekenetic. 

As they all walked into the high security section, even Prowler was looking a bit off. That was strange because she could usually resist being affected by the Dementors. Orion curled her tail on the floor and rested on it. She scanned the cells - and her gaze landed upon a man, looking very lost and woe-begotten. Taking pity, she walked over to him. He stared at her for a few seconds, then backed away. Orion was sorry for this man, who obviously had not seen the light of day for ages. He was a hideously white colour, with both hair and a beard, at elbow length. 

"Ah, I see someone has already found him," Orion whirled around, to find herself looking into the face of the guard. "This man," The guard began, "Is Sirius Black." A few of her peers shrieked and hid behind each other, while the others just turned away. Only Orion had an expression of Tolerance.

"As you'll see this way--" Said the guard, who had identified himself as Verik. 

"Um, excuse me, sir?" Orion asked. Verik stopped and Orion whispered something in his ear. 

Verik gave a quick nod and Orion gave a slight smile in thanks. She never smiled fully. She never had a reason to. 

The cat-like girl walked towards Sirius with a expression of curiosity. Sirius, was afraid, was this girl an enemy, or an alley? He decided that she was an enemy, because the last friend he made turned out to be a traitor. 

He scooted back into the safety of the darkness.

The group had now crowded around his cell. It had been ages since he had been near people and he felt uneasy. He heard the guard say his name. The group of kids screamed and backed away from him. The cat-like girl just looked at him with increased respect. 

The group of kids drifted away, but the cat-like girl stayed behind. She must be daydreaming or something. 

"Oi! Psycho!" The cat-like girl's head turned to face another girl about her age. 

"You coming, Psycho?" The girl asked.

The cat-like girl shook her head.

"No thanks, Prowler." She said.

The other girl, who that cat-like girl had called 'Prowler', shrugged and walked off.

Something stirred in the back of Sirius' mind. _Prowler.... Prowl....Prongs..._ Sirius gave a shriek of despair at the memory of James. 

The cat-like girl sat on a little ledge, on his window. She out stretched a hand and placed it reassuringly on his. And for this first, time in 12 years, Sirius showed emotion. A single tear rolled down his cheek. 

Orion asked the guard if she could stay here for a just a little while longer. She wanted to build up immunity to the Dementors. The guard had approved, as if grateful that someone would want to take the job after him. 

Jane asked Orion if she was coming to look at the offices. Orion didn't want to. She wanted to learn more about this man. Something seemed to have stirred - like a lost memory uncovered, in the man's mind. 

He gave a cry of sadness at the memory. Orion wanted to comfort this man in some way. That was what she had felt like doing. She just reached through the bars and held the man's hand. A tear leaked out of his eye and Orion had the longing to do the same. She tightened her grip, ever so slightly, as if to confirm the man's thoughts - she was not a figment of his imagination. Although sometimes she wish she was. 

Part two: Memories Lost - and Found

"Who...who are you?" Sirius managed to murmur. He had seen this girl before somewhere.

An image flashed in his mind; A man, short with thinning hair and watery eyes stood before him. 

"I always thought that it would be ironic Padfoot. Ironic to see the daughter of a dog turn into a cat. Would you like to see?" The man smiled an evil smile. _Pettigrew...._ Sirius remembered. 

He raised his wand and muttered a few words. A scream brought him back. His daughter, with raven black hair and eyes, lay on the ground. And slowly, ever so slowly, morphed into a dog. A black Newfoundlands just like her father. "Astrid!" Sirius yelled. The girl didn't hear him. Her form changed into a cat. She was struggling to stay conscious. But she fought the morph. Stuck half way between and cat and a human, she fainted. She would be like that for the rest of her life. 

"Peter!" Sirius screamed his voice full of anger. 

"Your own daughter Sirius! How could you? First Lily and James, then your own wife and daughter!" Peter shrieked.

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Iah? Iah! Sirius thought wildly. And next to the crumpled form of his daughter, was the lifeless body of his wife. 

Suddenly, a warm feeling came over him. Like a child waking up from a nightmare and having their mother hug them and make them feel safe. It dissolved the picture and he could feel the vibrations in the air ready to consume him. Only this time he was willing. 

He clawed his way back from the memory, to find the cat-like girl looking at him, her eyes were full of worry.

"Don't worry," She whispered. "He won't hurt you or Harry any more. I'll make sure of it."

__

What? How could she know about Harry? Sirius thought to himself. 

Before he could ask, the girl was gone. 

Orion held the man's hand and sensed a wave of despair and pain being emitted from him. Of course it was coming from the rest of the prisoners too. Only this one was different. This one was innocent. 

"Black! We're not waiting any more! Come now or we'll leave without you!" Someone called. 

Orion sensed the man slipping away. _I'll just give something to comfort him._She thought. She used a tiny bit of her energy. She was standing there, watching a little girl and a short man standing over her. She saw Sirius Black trying to reach her. Orion was overcome with emotion and thoughts. _No....He's at Hogwarts, He's at Hogwarts...You'll pay to what you did to my daughter, Astrid, what you did to James, Lily, Harry and Iah, Peter!! _Orion jerked back. Astrid...that rang a bell.

This man, Peter, had framed Sirius Black. It sounded insane, but one look inside his mind, told her everything she needed to know.

As Sirius used the energy she gave him and she spoke to him. Softly, so she couldn't be heard by anyone else. "I won't let him hurt you."

"Black! That's it, we're going!"

"OK, Mrs McCoynd." Orion called. She let go of Sirius' had and slipped away, into the darkness. 

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Harry...Harry Potter maybe? Orion thought to herself, as they group-apparated back to the orphanage. _But...wait a second. _She jerked. 

"Um...Mrs McCoynd, could I please have a pass? I'd like to do some exploring. Some thinking."

Mrs McCoynd looked at her for a minute. "Alright then, Black. And yes, you may take Jannet with you." Orion gave another small smile and ran up to the Phoenix Commonroom.

"Prowler!" Orion called. 

"Wha?" Jane called from her game of wizard chess with another Phoenix. 

"Can you come with me please? I need to do some urgent business at the wizard library."

"Sure Psycho. Just let me get my coin purse." Prowler walked out and returned a few minutes later, holding a leather bag. "OK, let's go."

They walked out of the orphanage and down to the wizard library. 

"Hello, I'd like to have all the newspaper articles and books you have concerning Sirius Black, please." Orion said politely. The librarian looked at her like she had uttered a swear word. 

"Don't say that name! It's almost as bad as saying You-Know-Who's name." 

Orion knew better than to say Tom Riddle's name out loud, just to annoy her. 

The lady waved her wand and a whole stack of newspapers and magazines appeared.

Orion thanked her and levitated the pile to a desk. 

"OK, Psycho, exactly what are we looking for?" Jane finally asked.

"Prowler, when I went to Azkaban and saw Sirius, I actually found out that he is innocent." 

Jane looked at her like she was speaking in a language that she only half-understood. 

"Fine, Psycho, if that's what you think. I believe you - your psychic powers have never failed before."

Jane said, thumbing through a detailed article about Azkaban and its prisoners.

"Psycho--" Jane began, holding an old Daily Prophet.

"Don't suggest anything that Rita Skeeter wrote. She bends the truth so much, it's a wonder it doesn't break...Aha!" Orion said triumphantly.

"What?" Jane asked. 

"Here it is! What I've been looking for. An article about Sirius' family." Orion said, handing the yellowing newspaper to Jane. 

"Let's see…Iah, his wife, Phoenix, his mother, Mars, his father, Astrid his daughter…" 

"Read that!" She cried. Jane looked at Orion for a second, but then shrugged and read it out loud. 

"…After killing his wife, Black then turned to murder his daughter, Astrid, whom he had brought with her, but was stopped by Peter Pettigrew. Black only managed to curse her. When Black was caught by the Hit Wizards, she was taken to St Guyd's Home for orphaned Witches and Wizards."

Well, that explained a lot…she couldn't be his daughter as the thought had passed through her mind. The child she saw did look a lot like her… 

Part Three: Realisation

Sirius could sense the warmness in the air again as the Dementors left the halls for a few minutes for the annual inspection by Minister Fudge. At last, the Dementors glided away, but the permanent chill settled over him like a veil. As Fudge walked down the corridors, peering into cells at random, Sirius' eyes were drawn to a copy of the _Daily Prophet _tucked under one arm. He just had to have that paper. His contact with the outside world had been cut when he was brought to Azkaban. He didn't even know what year it was. As Fudge passed his cell, Sirius tried to attract his attention. "Minister Fudge?" Sirius croaked. 

Fudge whirled around to face Sirius. "Sirius," Fudge said, obviously reminiscing. "How long have you been in here? Its been a while since I can recall seeing your face." 

Sirius just nodded. "Minister, could I please have that newspaper? I've missed doing the crosswords and there's not much to do here, I'm afraid."

Stunned at the normality of Sirius' request, Fudge passed the paper through the bars.

"Thank you, Minister." Sirius rasped, as he opened up the newspaper, absorbing at its news like a wet sponge. Sirius glanced at the date. _1993...that means that I've been here for.... 12 years! It's felt like a lot longer than that. _Sirius' eyes scrolled down the columns. Finishing, he took one last look at the front - then something caught his eye. There was Peter, sitting on the shoulder of one of the many redheaded boys in the main article's picture. Sirius skimmed the text, then read the caption. _Five of the children currently attend Hogwarts. _Something clicked in Sirius' mind. _How old is Harry now? 13 years old...Oh shit! _Sirius now knew of Peter's plan - and he had to save Harry. _James...Prongs...give me strength. _He was shook out of his thoughts by the familiar rattle of the meal cart. _This is it..._Sirius thought. And with that, he transformed into a dog, and disappeared into the night. 

Something just didn't add up now that Orion and Jane had read that article. Orion decided to get to the bottom of this. She approached the librarian once more. "Excuse me, I'd like some information on St Guyd's home for orphaned Witches and Wizards please." 

The librarian shrugged. "I can tell you about it if you like. It was burned down a few years ago. The children there didn't want to be known, you see. Most of them were the daughters and sons of celebrities, or people running from the law...or just children running away. Sad really..." 

"But I'm looking for a particular person, you see..." Orion began. 

"Well, I'm afraid you can't. All the kids agreed to memory charms so they wouldn't remember their parents or St Guyd's. Then they changed their names and were transferred to different orphanages."

"But what if they were too young to make decisions for themselves?" Orion protested.

"Well, those children had their names changed for them."

"Did they have memory charms, too?"

"Of course, my dear. Their young, impressionable minds would have absorbed much of their parents and of those who worked at St Guyd's." 

Orion thanked her. She felt so depressed. A dead-end. Now she would never know if she was the daughter of Sirius Black.

Jane and Orion trudged back to the orphanage. While they were walking, Orion filled Jane in on all the details. 

"Hmm," Jane said. "Well, we could ask Mrs McCoynd if she knew your parents. She's always willing to help people trace their families." 

"Good idea, Prowler. I'll ask her as soon as I can get her alone." 

Padfoot was exhausted. He had been swimming for hours now. His whole body was aching and he was starving. He stumbled across a walking path just outside the Wizard library. He collapsed just outside the local orphanage - the same one that had visited him in Azkaban. Padfoot wondered if he would meet the cat-like girl again. But then other thoughts invaded his mind. Like how he was going to get something to eat. He was too weak to move and if someone saw him -- Too late. Someone already had. 

"Mummy! Mummy! Lookit the big dog!" A small child cried as it ran up to him. 

"He's a nice dog. Would you like to keep him, Miki?" The mother asked, kneeling down beside the dog. _Noo...Please no..I have to find Peter..._ Padfoot thought, sleepily. 

"Snuffles!" A familiar voice cried.

Padfoot lifted his head to see the cat-like girl, running up to him. He gave a small bark of joy.

"Is this your dog, young lady?" The woman asked the cat-like girl. 

"Yes he is. He's been missing for some time now. I've been looking all over for him." The cat-like girl explained. The woman nodded to the girl and walked away, dragging the protesting child with her. The child was throwing the largest tantrum that Padfoot had ever seen. Padfoot was so happy. That was twice the cat-like girl had saved his sanity.

The cat-like girl bent down next to him. "I know its you, Sirius. I'm not going to tell anyone. Just stay as a dog until its safe to turn back. OK?" Padfoot couldn't believe that this girl knew about his animagi form. 

But Padfoot didn't have any more time to think, as the world went black. 

As Orion was talking to Jane on the way back to the orphanage, a black dog stumbled across the pathway. It looked familiar and Orion couldn't resist having a peek inside its mind. She couldn't believe what she saw inside. _God...what's going on in this dog's mind? It's too complex to be an animal's...so it must be...oh shit.. _A mother and a little girl walked over to the dog and they were going to keep it. _They can't have a convicted serial killer for a pet - even if he is innocent. _

Orion thought fast. Suddenly, inspiration hit. She had a pet once. A stupid gerbil that she flushed down the toilet because it bit her. "Snuffles!" She cried, and she hoped that Sirius would remember her voice. He did, because he raised his head and gave a small whimper. 

"Is this your dog, young lady?" The woman asked, obviously hoping that he wasn't. 

When Orion said that he was, the lady gave an exasperated sigh and walked off, with the kid throwing the world's worst tantrum. Orion knelt down beside Sirius and whispered to him, 

"Sirius, I know its you. I'm not going to tell anyone. Just stay in as a dog until its safe." 

The dog gave a slight nod and passed out. 

"Now what are we going to do?" Jane asked loudly.

Orion thought. "Well," She began, slowly. "I guess we could take him in and hide him the old oak. We built a special treehouse remember? Nobody can get up there unless they have the muggle key, and are able to levitate. Fortunately, I can do both." 

Jane nodded and Orion gingerly picked up the dog. He stirred slightly as she moved him in her arms to a more comfortable spot. "C'mon. Let's go." 

As Orion levitated Jane, herself and the dog, they heard a group of kids running around near the tree, noisily. Orion quickly shoved the muggle key in the lock and the door sprang open. Jane eased the dog in and then clambered inside. 

"I'm going to see what all the fuss is about." Orion said, as she climbed up a little higher to get a better look. Jane shut the door slowly. 

"No way! That can't be it!" Orion heard one kid yell.

"Of course it is! Why else would Sirius Black escape from Azkaban?" Called another.

"Oi, Psycho! Imadoofus!" Orion heard someone calling the treehouse password.

She looked down to see Renee, tapping her foot patiently. 

"Oops. Sorry Mingle." Orion said. "Can you do me a favour?" 

Renee nodded. "Sure Psycho." 

A few minutes later, Renee knocked on the trunk of the tree. Orion was waiting and hastily levitated her up. "In there." Orion said, pointing her thumb at the treehouse. Renee crawled over and Orion followed.

"Oh my God!" Renee cried and promptly fainted. 

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Part Four: The Mirror Has Two Faces

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When Sirius awoke next, the first thing he noticed, was that he was warm. He gathered all the strength he could muster, and opened his eyes. Wooden floors and wooden walls were all he could see. He strained a little more, and the cat-like girl came into focus. She looked at him with immense relief. 

"How are you feeling?" She asked. Sirius remembered that when he fainted, he was in his dog form outside a building. Where was he now? 

Sirius used some newfound strength, and with the cat-like girl's help, was able to bring himself into a sitting position. 

Sirius blinked, and his proper vision was restored. The cat-like girl looked at him for a minute, as if examining him. 

Was this girl?...No, she couldn't be. Peter killed Astrid. He was sure of it. But why did, when he looked at her, feel like he was looking into a mirror? 

He glanced at the girl, who was staring at the door. She raised a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. 

"Hey, Psycho?" A voice called. The cat-like girl gave a sigh and inched over to the door. She opened it, and another girl almost fell in. 

"You OK, Mingle?" The cat-like girl asked.

"Yeah, Psycho. I've just went to return the stuff to the kitchen."

"Thanks a lot, Mingle. It really means a lot to me."

'Mingle' smiled and said, "Ah, no probs, Spacey. Any time." 

The cat-like girl clenched her firsts at the name. 

Sirius shifted position to get the girls' attention. It worked and they turned to face him.

"Where...where am I? Where are we?" He asked. 

After Renee had retrieved a bowl of water and some cloths, Orion tried to get Sirius to return to his human form. It was taken care of after a quick spell that makes animagi turn back into their original forms. Orion just looked at him with a sorrowful look on her face. He looked just as gaunt and worn out as he had when she met him in Azkaban. 

Orion cleaned him up, washing any wound she came across (there were many), and scrubbing clean his skin. When that was done, she concentrated and had a look inside his mind. 

What she saw almost made her scream. It was a demolished house...with two burned bodies. Orion concentrated harder, and saw a child lying in the rubble, screaming for someone to come and console him. No one came. No one, that is, until a mechanical sound shattered the deadly silence. 

It was Sirius Black on a motorcycle.

He ran over and surveyed the wreckage. 

"Oh, Sirius!" Called a voice. Orion could now see 2 more figures. One was a woman who was tall with a beautiful voice and long, flowing red hair. The other was a baby about 1 year old. 

"Hawwy!" The child cried. Orion recognised the baby's voice immediately. It was hers. The girl had raven hair and flashing black eyes. She hopped out of her mother's grasp and ran over to the 1 year old boy, who was also crying. Orion strained, and saw something flash in the light as the girl ran past. It was the pendent that Orion wore around her neck. A healing stone. 

Sirius bent down, picked Harry up, and ran his finger up the scar on Harry's forehead. He held Harry tightly and sobbed. 

"Daddy?" The younger version of Orion called. 

Sirius gave the young Orion a tight smile. "It's OK, my Starlight." The older Orion froze. She remembered that in a dream she had long ago, there was a man's voice calling out to his little 'Starlight'. 

"C'mon, we're going to find that murderous rat!" Sirius screamed as he rose. 

Just then, a _very _tall man came walking up, sobbing. He was even taller than her dad and her mum put together. The older Orion felt a surge of energy. Sirius was waking up. She had to leave his mind for a little while. She would do it again with his permission.

When Sirius was coming round, Orion stared into his squinting eyes. He looked so familiar, yet so strange. 

"Astrid...?" He whispered so softly, that Orion had to strain her super sensitive ears to hear it. 

Blinking back tears, Orion just shook her head and squeezed Sirius' hand, which she had unconsciously grabbed. As Sirius came aware of where he was, he sat up. He still looked very dazed, and half asleep.

There was a knock at the door. Orion instinctively put a finger to her lips. She tensed, until the door opened, revealing Renee behind it. 

Orion thanked her fro returning the cleaning materials, and she relived her finest hour, when Renee called her spacey. 

She had just been taken to the orphanage, and we getting a lot of funny stares. She had guessed that this was from her ears and tail. After getting a friendly smile from the nice lady who had brought her in, Orion looked around at everyone. She found no one there who looked remotely friendly. 

"So this is his daughter?" Spat one of the older kids. The nice lady gave her a stern look and used a silencing spell on her. "God, she acts just like Jane." Commented someone. 

"Did someone say my name?" A girl Orion's age called. Standing behind the crowd, was the Jane girl, accompanied by a tallish girl (not as tall as Orion) with short dark brown hair. There was also another girl. She was short, with a shy look about her. 

"Hey." The Jane girl said. The Jane girl was almost as tall as Orion, but shorter than the other tall one. 

"Greetings." Orion said back.

"I'm Jane," She said. "This is Renee," Jane pointed at the tall girl. "And this is Petra."

"Hi." They both said back.

"I'm Orion." Orion said.

Jane tilted her head. "What?" 

"Orion...y'know...the star constellation?" 

"Oh right. You should be called Spacey then."

Orion gave a short laugh. Behind her, some girls taunted her, and told her that Spacey ment 'away with the spirits'. This made Orion shake her head. "Nah." Orion then remembered someone saying that she will grow to be a psycho because of her family. "I like Psycho better." She said.

Jane smiled. "I like that better, too. I'm Prowler because I can change into a fox and can prowl around. Renee's called Mingle, 'coz she likes to 'mingle' with other people as well as us. And Petra is Weyr, 'coz she likes to read the muggle book series the Dragon Riders of Pern. Weyr is something in it, I forgot..." Jane trailed off, and everyone laughed. _This is it. _Thought Orion, happily. _This is where I belong._

Sirius sitting up, and asking them where he was, brought Orion back out of her daydream.

"Well I'd better get back. See ya, Psycho." Renee flashed a naughty grin, and with that, she disappeared. 

Orion closed the door and looked back at Sirius, who was waiting patiently for an answer. 

"Well," Orion began. "You're here because I found you outside the orphanage. I brought you in because I knew that the Dementors were after you. That and the fact that a child wanted you as a pet." 

Sirius' face paled.

Part Five: Revelation

Sirius couldn't believe it when the cat-like girl had told him where his was. He now felt like he owed this girl his life.

The cat-like girl smiled, and tided up some cloths.

"Did you have a daughter at one point, Sirius?" The cat-like girl ventured.

Sirius was taken aback. How could this girl know about Astrid? The cat-like girl gave a small sigh of exsaperation. "Sirius, forgive me. I had to look inside the dog's mind to find out where it was from. I found the incident with Peter Pettigrew play through my mind like a muggle film. It had been continuing to do so for the last 20 minutes. I saw a baby girl, and I wasn't sure if she was yours." 

Sirius looked at her. How could she look into my mind? He thought. She must be psychic. So that's why her friends call her Psycho...

"What's you name?" Sirius asked. If he found that out, it might answer a few questions.

She took a deep breath. "My name is Orion." 

Orion...that rings a bell... Then Sirius realised that that was what he was going to call Astrid. 

But Iah had objected, so she was called something similar. 

"So what about your mi--" Sirius was interrupted by a young girl shouting.

"Hey, Psycho! I can't hold the warden off forever! Come on!" 

Orion pouted for a brief second, then she scooped up a few belongings and said to Sirius,

"You can stay here for as long as you want, here," She tossed Sirius a rope ladder. "We don't need it because I can levitate people up. Just don't be seen, OK?" The last question sounded more like a plea, then anything else. She gave Sirius one brief smile, then floated down to the ground, and ran off, into the darkness, to where her friend was waiting. 

Sirius rested himself onto a pile of blankets that Orion had left him. 

For the first time in over a decade, Sirius felt both safe, and warm. 

Sirius was very different from when Orion had seen him in Azkaban. Maybe because there were no Dementors to interrupt their conversation. _Maybe I am Sirius Black's daughter..._She thought. But, the biggest thing that doesn't fit, is her name. Orion is not Astrid. _I'll ask the warden tonight._

After dinner, Orion approached her. 

"Mrs McCoynd? Can I please ask you s question?" Orion asked innocently. 

Mrs McCoynd nodded, and Orion continued. "Did I, by any chance, go to St. Guyd's when I was little? Because a few years ago, I took the liberty of looking through my personal records, and it said that I came here when I was 4. My parents died when I was 1. So where did I go for those 3 years?"

Mrs McCoynd was caught off guard. She remained silent, but Orion knew how to interpret that.

"Its true...isn't it?" Orion asked, feeling betrayed. 

Mrs McCoynd nodded. "I didn't want you to find out, Orion. You are so young, so innocent...." 

__

Innocent? Hah! If only she knew who was hiding out in the tree house at this very minute. 

"Mrs McCoynd? Then who are my father and mother?" Orion demanded, desperately. "Is it Sirius Black? I look so much like him...and I have the same last name as him." 

"He is." Those two words brought Orion's world tumbling down onto her. _By Merlin's beard! I'm the daughter of a convicted murderer! I'll make a vow, and I'll keep it 'til my dying day: If I ever see Pettigrew, regardless of where we are, I will kill him! _She repeated her vow to herself, and looked at Mrs McCoynd, who was gazing at her, sympathetically. 

"Child, don't tell anyone who doesn't need to know, OK? Tell only your close friends."   
"But what about my name?" Orion wailed. "My name is Orion, and her's is Astrid."

Mrs McCoynd looked at her like she had gone mad. "What's your name, child?! Think!" 

Orion almost had a heart attack. "My middle name is Astrid..." She whispered. 

Mrs McCoynd nodded slowly. "To protect you, the ministry changed your name. It wasn't very clever when you think about it. The second I looked at you and asked for your full name, I knew you were his daughter."

Orion nodded. "Do you believe he's innocent?" 

"I do. We were very good, and close friends. I know he couldn't've done it. If he ever came here, I'd gladly shelter him." As those words reached Orion's ears, she felt a great weight taken off her back. She needed to see Sirius as soon as possible. 

__

I'll see him tomorrow. She promised, and ran off to tell her friends the news. 

Sirius had slept the best in years. It was a dream about Astrid. He woke up, to find that his face was wet. He had to see Harry. And save him from Pettigrew the rat. 

There was a knock at the door, and Sirius tensed. 

"Its me, Astrid." Called a voice outside. Sirius hurried over to the door, and swung it open. Orion was sitting there, grinning from ear to ear. " 'morning father." She said. 

Sirius stuttered. How he have been so dumb? He was looking everywhere for her, and she was right in front of his face, all along. 

"Astrid..." He choked. His daughter looked at him, with an expression that he hadn't seen in years - love. She shuffled over to him, and pressed her head into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and quietly wept. Sirius, was stunned. The full realisation of what 'Orion' had said, finally dawned on him, and embraced her. He smelled the fresh fragrance of flowers from her long raven hair. She looked up at him, with large eyes, that had black irises. She smiled again, this time exposing a mouth, full of razor-sharp cat-like teeth. Her ears flicked back and forth, and her black tail was swaying with happiness. She let go of him, removing her claw-like hands, with long pointy nails from around him. Around her neck, she wore a gold chain, with an emerald green healing stone on it. Sirius knew he had seen that before. He stared at it for a moment, then he realised where. It was Iah's. He had a matching one - except his was red.

She looked into his eyes. "I know what you're thinking." She said, as she put her hand down her top, and fished out a second necklace with a red stone on it. She slipped it over her head, and placed it around its rightful owner's neck. 

"Astrid...there's something I must tell you," Sirius began. Astrid nodded for him to go on. 

"I must go to Hogwarts. Harry Potter's there you see, and I'm his Godfather, and I must protect him from Pettigrew, oh, you don't know - he's the--" Astrid put a finger to his lips. 

"I saw it in your mind. Don't worry. Just know that I'll always be with you, every step of the way." 

With that, she embraced Sirius once more - and disappeared. Sirius stared at the tree house's now-empty door frame. He gathered up his meagre possessions (which was the healing stone and the cloths that Astrid had left him - Sirius thought they might come in handy), and slipped away unnoticed. Unnoticed that is - to everyone except to those, watching him, and silently granting him a safe journey. 

Part Six - Platforms and Chewing Gum.

Astrid sat down at the little desk in her dormitory. She wrote a letter - very carefully to Professor Dumbledore. 

Dear Professor, 

My name is Orion Black (Astrid's name had been officially changed to Orion, and she decided to keep it that way until her father's name was cleared) **and I would like to enrol into your school for Wizardy and Witchcraft. I live at St. Justin's home for orphaned witches and wizards, and I currently attend Rising Phoenix Academy. I am 13 years old, and a psychic. My best subjects are Divination and Potions. If I could attend this year, I would be happy to pay extra, because of this such short notice. **

Yours faithfully,

*Orion Black*

Astrid signed the letter with a flourish, and sent Comet, her owl, to deliver it. 

She gave a small satisfied sigh, and finally allowed herself to fall into a well deserved rest. 

***

Padfoot was running. It was strange, since that was all he was doing these past few weeks. The only thing that he could sense, was the rage burning in his soul. Rage at Peter, for killing Iah, framing him, cursing his daughter, and, the worst of all, betraying Lily and James to Voldemort, and killing them. 

He stopped for a second to smell the air. Muggles were nearby. He could sense it. He got ready, and shrank back, into the shadows. After what had happened to him last time he was Padfoot, he wasn't 

going to take any chances. 

***

Astrid had to wait a week for her reply from Albus Dumbledore. She tore open the letter in anticipation, and read the words that she had been longing to hear all her life.

Dear Miss Black,

It was a good thing that you sent this owl when you did, because there was one space left in the 3rd years. You don't have to pay extra - seeing as you got the last available place. Enclosed is a list of all the items you will need. Say hello to Gilyn McCoynd for me. I await your attendance on the 1st of September. 

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Astrid was overcome with joy. She smiled the largest smile she had ever smiled. Now she would really by following in his foot steps. Her smile disappeared. Her father. Astrid hadn't heard from him for a week. 

Her worries were interrupted by Jane bursting in. "Hey, Psycho! Wanna go to Parallel Lane to go get some books?"   
Astrid grinned slightly. Parallel Lane was their joke name for Diagon Alley. She really wanted to go and get her school books. She agreed, the worries of father, far out of her mind for the time being. 

***

Harry could sense that there was something different from the moment he laid eyes on this beautiful muggle girl. She was standing between platforms 10 and 9, reading a letter she was holding in her hand. All of a sudden, she disappeared. Harry then knew what had happened. The girl wasn't a muggle - she was going to Hogwarts. 

Harry met up with Ron and Hermione, and they crossed the barrier. 

Astrid looked for a place to sit. She walked into an empty carriage. She sat down, then she realised that there was a teacher sitting in there. She slapped her hand on her forehead. _Great Astrid, just great. Your first day, and you've already made the first move to be coming the teacher's pet!_

She heard a door open behind her. In stepped the infamous Harry Potter, accompanied by a boy with red hair, and a girl with buck teeth. Astrid broke the ice.

"Hi, I'm Orion." She said automatically. 

Harry smiled and introduced the girl had Hermione Granger, and the boy, as Ron Weasley. 

There was an awkward silence, until Harry said, "You new?"

Astrid nodded. Harry then noticed her ears. Astrid said, "I think I was born like that," She lied. "I wouldn't know, I'm an orphan." For her lie, she was rewarded with three sympathetic smiles. 

"Yeah, I'm an orphan, too. I was one when they died. What about you?" Said Harry.

"Same here." Astrid replied curtly. 

Their conversation took off there, onto other things, like quiditch._ Well, their no Prowler, Mingle, or Weyr, but they'll do. _Astrid thought. 

****

***

__

Run! Shouted his mind. _Run, run, run! Find Wormtail - kill him! _

Padfoot arrived in a clearing. He found a cave a few miles from Hogwarts, and turned back into a man. Sirius was so exhausted, he collapsed where he stood, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

***

The first years huddled with excitement. After they and the second years were sorted, Dumbledore stood up, and made an announcement. 

"Students, we have a new witch this year. She has transferred from Rising Phoenix, so please make her feel welcome. Coincidently, she is the first to be sorted. 

The students leaned forward, eager to learn the new kid's name.

"Black, Orion!" The silence was broken, by a large amount of whispering. "Black? Wow! Wonder if she's related to--" 

Dumbledore called for quiet, by letting off a few sparks from his wand. 

Astrid stood up, and walked over to the hat. The regulation cloak might cover her tail, but her cat-ears were still visible. 

She gingerly put the hat on her head. She sat down on the stool, her chin cupped in her hands. 

"Well, let's take a look in here now...ohh, a lot of power...psychic too, eh? Hmmm...where shall I put you?"

__

Please...put me in Dad's old house... Astrid's mind begged the hat. 

"Well, your father was Sirius Black, was he not? I'd better put you in....GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word echoed around the great hall. She carefully removed the hat from her head, and quickly moved over to the Gryffindor table. She sat down, and the student made sure they gave her plenty of room. She scowled at that, wishing with all the power that she possessed, that Prowler, Mingle and Weyr were here to keep her company, and laugh at all the mischief they would cause. Her thoughts were interrupted, by Harry sitting down next to him, followed by his two friends. 

"Hey." Harry whispered, breaking the silence. 

"Hey," She whispered back. "Does anything interesting ever happen around here? I'm itching to get my hands on some dung bombs, or something." Astrid grinned. 

"If only you knew." Harry answered. Astrid was curious about what Harry meant by that, but he face gave away nothing. So she just shrugged it off, and thought about where her Dad might be right now. 

***

Sirius awoke in the cave, to find that he wasn't very far from Hogwarts. He set out immediately, in dog form. _I'll hide out in the forbidden forest._He thought to himself. 

He was brought back to his senses, by a large ginger cat prowling around. 

__

Uh oh...this could be trouble.But the cat just walked up to him, and sniffed him. Padfoot tried to communicate with the cat. _Hello..._He said, uncertainly. 

The cat looked at him for a few moments.Greetings, Animagi. 

How did you know I was an animagi? Padfoot asked.

I'm not stupid. I can see plainly that you're not a dog. Who are you?

I'm...on the run. Can you help me find shelter? 

Well...OK. Follow me. The cat led Padfoot to behind the Whomping Willow. If you get a large stick, and prod the knot on the tree, you can climb down and there's a tunnel. It's very dry and safe there. There are also a lot of mice, but I don't think that you'd be interested in that. 

This cat was smart, and had a sense of humour. It was Padfoot's kind of companion. 

***

Astrid evaluated her room-mates. There was Harry's friend, Hermione, a weird girl called Lavender, a pretty looking jealous girl, named Nicole and her. Astrid got into her night clothes, and wrote a letter to Prowler, Mingle and Weyr, about Hogwarts so far. After Comet, her owl, had flown off with it, she glanced at her timetable. 

9 o'clock DADA

10 o'clock DADA

11 o'clock Care of Magical Creatures

12 o'clock Lunch

1 o'clock Potions

Astrid sighed. She loved Defence Against Dark Arts, but wasn't very good at it. She liked Care of Magical Creatures, and was looking forward to it. She loved Potions. It was her passion. But she didn't like the look of the Potion's master. 

"Um...Orion?" Hermione began. Astrid turned around to face her. 

"Have you seen my ginger cat, Crookshanks? I can't seem to find him any where." 

Astrid thought. _There's another cat around here? I'll have to watch myself when I transform. _

"Nope sorry. I haven't seen him. But cats are smart animals. He's probably just getting used to his surroundings." 

Hermione though her response over, and it must have sounded reasonable, because she nodded and said, "You're right. Thanks, Orion." 

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. She parted the curtains of her bedhangings as she slipped between the freshly made sheets, and programmed her muggle watch. The other half of her, the cat, was beckoning. It wanted to roam around, and explore. 

Astrid would let herself have about 3 hours sleep. Then, the night would be hers. 

***

Padfoot saw the cat again. He was catching mice. Padfoot decided to ask the cat a favour.

Hello again. Padfoot said, tersely. 

Greetings animagi.

Cat, do you live at Hogwarts, by any chance?

What makes you think that I live at Hogwarts? Well, actually I do. Gryffindor tower with a third year girl, to be exact. 

Who's your mistress?

With a muggle with bushy hair. She hangs around this kid with red hair and Harry Potter--

Harry? You know Harry? Does the red headed kid, own a rat?

Yeah, I know that rat. His name is Scabbers and he's an animagi too.

Listen, this rat is evil. He is helping Voldemort. Could you please bring him to me? 

I'll see what I can do. I'll visit you tomorrow regardless of whether I've caught him or not.

Thank you. And good luck. 

The cat flashed an odd expression across its face.Thanks, any thing to bring Voldemort.

And with that, the cat disappeared. 

***

Astrid walked to her double DADA class. Inside, was the new teacher who had sat with them on the Hogwarts Express. He proceeded to talk about boggarts and performed an amazing trick the made the chewing gum that Peeves had stuck in a key hole, fly out, right into his ear. 

It was thoroughly entertaining, and it gave Astrid a few ideas on her new pranks to try. 

Professor Lupin asked her to come up, and perform a trick with the boggart. 

"Orion, where's your wand?" Questioned the professor.

"I...I don't have one, sir." She replied.

Why not? Did you lose it?" 

"No sir. I don't need it." Astrid said. Lupin just stared at her for a moment. Then he said,

"OK, then you'll have to do it without it." 

Astrid pictured the person she was scared of the most - a Dementor. 

She then pictured a frilly pick tu-tu that she was forced to wear when she did muggle ballet. 

"Ridickulus!" Astrid shouted, pointing her right hand out, at the boggart.

It stopped, then it became a Dementor wearing a tu-tu. The class erupted into fits of laughter. Lupin gave her a smile as if to say 'Well done.' Astrid went and sat down, and a kid called Neville made 'Professor Snape' wear a ridiculous outfit. More laughter. She HAD to tell Prowler, Mingle and Weyr about this one. 

But, something was niggling at the back of her mind. She made them think that she was most scared of Dementors. But she wasn't. She was most scared, of black Grims. 

***

The cat came down and met Padfoot the next day. He was empty mouthed. 

__

Sorry. I couldn't get him. The cat 'said'. _He ran off. Because the red headed kid never liked me, he's siding with the rat. _

Its OK. Padfoot reassured him. But he really was disappointed. Not at the cat. But by the fact that he had asked a cat to do his bidding. 

__

No, its not OK. You're just saying that. I'm not going to be outsmarted by a rat animagus. I'm going to get that rat, even if its the last thing I do.

Padfoot couldn't urge with that. Before he could say any more, the cat had given a flick of its tail, and was gone. 

Chapter Seven - Betrayal

"You there!" Snape bellowed, pointing to Astrid who was seated near the back, next to Harry and Hermione. 

"Me?" Astrid asked. 

"What is main use for eye of eagle?" 

Astrid knew that one. She only wore one around her neck. Two, until recently. 

"Healing stones, Professor." She quipped.

Snape had obviously thought he had given her a hard question, because he turned around and started to grill another Gryffindor about the main ingredient of the liquid inside a pensieve.

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. She had had COMC before Potions. She almost laughed out loud at the memory of Malfoy getting knocked over by the hippogriff. 

Lucky for her, this is the last period of the day. She wasn't looking forward to that tonne of homework that was awaiting her, though. 

Snape soon calmed down after the Gryffindor had failed to name the main ingredient. 

Astrid almost passed out, when she could hear Snape's thoughts as he walked past her.

__

If nobody knows the answer, I'll trip them up by putting it in the end of year Potions test. 

Astrid made herself a mental promise to find out what the answer is. 

***

When everyone was safe in their beds, Astrid had just finished the rest of her work. She gave herself a satisfied smirk when she thought about how Snape would look the next day when he found out that Astrid had completed all the work he had assigned, plus the extra credit extension. 

Astrid only cared for a few things in life: Mischief making, grades, MWPP, and her father, so she didn't have much to waste time with. Astrid had, however, set up a false address with a muggle library, and had been borrowing and reading books from there. They were quite helpful in her mischief making too - the 'old' muggle pranks had never been tried in the magical realm before. 

Right now, she wanted to try the old bag switch. The one where you switch your bag that is identical to someone else's. But before you switch, you put in rocks and offensive notes, maybe even seal the bag with a mild curse. She smiled. Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad after all. She slipped her nightgown onto her naked, half-cat body. She shivered at the temperature change, and crawled into bed.

***

Padfoot waited patiently for the cat to return. _I can't wait around here forever... _He thought to himself. Then, a thought hit him. He would try to enter the tower and grab that rat, while everyone was at the Halloween feast. It was tomorrow night. He grinned, evilly at the thought of Peter finally between his hands. _Yes...tomorrow night. _

***

Astrid woke up slowly that day. She glanced at her timetable once more. _Tonight is the night of the Halloween feast._ She thought to herself. She was about to leave, when Comet flew in to the dorm. It glided over to her, and perched gracefully on her shoulder. "Hey, Comet." Astrid greeted her.

Comet hooted happily, and dropped the letter she was carrying, right into Astrid's waiting palm. 

She was expecting a letter from Prowler, Mingle, and Weyr, and she was right. 

But what she read wasn't what she expected. Written in scrawled hand writing like someone had scribbled it in a hurry, was written:

Psycho, 

Everyone at the orphanage knows.

Petra told them, the traitor!!

Don't make any contact with Snuffles. 

When you're going on nighttime walks, watch yourself very closely.

~Prowler and Mingle. 

Astrid stared at the note. How could she?? How could Weyr do something like that? 

She fumed inside, as both the dog and the cat in her demanded revenge. 

Now, she didn't care about breakfast. She had to tell Sirius. She scribbled a brief note about what happened, to her father. She was thinking about how to get it to her, when Percy yelled that breakfast had started and she had to be down there. Astrid sighed, and pushed the note into her robe pocket. 

She would get it to him somehow.

And before she knew it, it was time for the Halloween feast. 

As the last of the students walked down the halls to the Halloween feast, Padfoot slunk in the shadows. He approached the Fat Lady, with a knowing grin on his face. That painting had let him and James in after their late night 'walks'. He was sure that she was doing the same for his daughter.

Padfoot morphed back into a man and walked up to her. 

"Hello." Sirius began. 

"Password, please." She said in her no-nonsense tone of voice. 

"I...I don't have a password, but I used to be in your room a few years back. The name's Black." 

"Black...Black...that wouldn't be Orion Black's father, would it?" She eyed him suspiciously. 

"N-no, that's not me." Sirius stuttered. 

"Sorry then. Can't let you in." She said, with no apology in her voice. 

"Let...Me...In!" Sirius screamed.

Down the other end of Hogwarts, something tweaked in Astrid's mind. Her father was nearby. And he was about to do something very stupid. She ran up the spiral steps leading to the Gryffindor commonroom. As she turned a corner, she something big and black went straight at her stomach.

"Snuffles?!" Astrid cried.

The dog gave a whimper of affirmative. 

"What are you doing here?? Wait, there's no time to explain, take this and go! I'll cover you." She thrust her hand into her robes, where she pulled out the letter and held it out to her father.

He looked at it, then grabbed it in his mouth. He took one last look at her, then ran down the hall, determined not to be found. 

Astrid screamed, and a large group of teachers came running out. 

"What is it? What is it?" They kept asking.

"Sirius Black." She gasped. "He just came running past me and almost bowled me over." 

The teachers looked at each other. 

"I'm telling the truth! Ask the Fat Lady. Ask her if anyone's gone up there." 

Professor Lupin volunteered, his face ashen. He walked briskly up the stairs and returned a few minutes later.

"Yes," He said. "Sirius Black was here. And he slashed the Fat Lady."

Chapter 8 - The Destruction of the Nimbus

The Great Hall was filled with the anxious chatter of students, talking about Sirius Black.

Astrid couldn't believe her father would do such a thing. But he was there, and it all fits. Whatever the reason, Astrid was sure it was a good one.

She got into her sleeping bag (for safety precautions, Dumbledore allowed all the Gryffindors to sleep in the commonroom, being under close eye by the prefects), and set her muggle alarm watch for 3 am. She needed a night prowl to get her mind off things. The thought of Prowler made her long for Rising Phoenix. She had Harry, Ron and Hermione as friends - sort of. But they couldn't compensate for Prowler, Mingle and -

She stopped herself just in time. Why should she waste her time thinking about that traitor??

***

At 3 o'clock, Astrid was woken up by the almost silent beeping of her watch. She crept around the sleeping bodies, and froze when she heard Dumbledore. She quickly slipped behind a pillar. She needed to know what was really going on, not the flowered up story she heard from the Prefects or the half-false rumours she got from her peers.

"Any sign of him. Professor?" Asked the whispered voice of Percy, the Gryffindor Prefect.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything's under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point in moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to give Black access without the password, so he slashed her. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

Astrid heard the door creak open again, and then yet another set of footsteps.

"Headmaster?" The voice was Snape's. "The whole place has been searched. He's not there."

"I didn't expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory on how he go in, Headmaster?"

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

"You don't think--"

"I do not believe that a single person inside this castle would have helped Black into it." Dumbledore's voice cut through the darkness.

Astrid slipped away, wondering about what she had heard, as she soundlessly slipped into her cat form, and padded off into the night.

Astrid wasn't very happy about the change in portraits. She remembered the time she got him all worked up, having a conversation about duels, listening to him boast, then scamper away and let him realise an hour later that he had been talking to himself. She managed to glide in and out before Sir Caddogan was placed up. She really felt like doing to him what her father had done to the Fat Lady.

But then there would be no one to guard Gryffindor and they might have to move in with Slytheran.

She shuddered at the thought, then slid down the banisters to join Ron, Harry and Hermione for DADA.

***

Sirius Black almost collapsed. He had just attacked the Fat Lady. It all sunk into his exhausted brain. He put his back against one of the walls in the Shrieking Shack, and slid down it. He put his forehead in one hand and waited for another chance.

He suddenly remembered the note his daughter had given him. He pulled it out and unfolded it. What he read made the blood in his veins turn to ice. He put his daughter in danger just to catch one selfish glance at her. Astrid seemed to know what she was doing, though she had about as much sense as he did, but she had Iah's brains, so hopefully it would balance out.

***

The DADA lesson that day was absolutely unbearable. Professor lupin had been ill, and his replacement was the last person Astrid had wanted - Snape.

He was especially rude to Astrid because he somehow knew the secret of her father. Maybe it was the face that she had the same calling card as her father - a dungbomb. She still wasn't sure if Dumbledore knew who her father was. Whether he knew or not, Astrid wasn't about to start walking around pronouncing it to the world.

She left the classroom with a load of homework in her bag and a nagging question on her mind. _What was with Snape's obsession with werewolves?_She asked herself.

She shrugged and walked off to her next class. She was looking forward to the next Quidditch match would be the next day. She hoped the Dementors wouldn't interfere, but some inner voice said to be prepared. Astrid made a mental note to brush up on her levitating and psychic communicating skills.

It turned out that she did need them. Just like with her father, her inner voice was never wrong.

She managed to slow down Harry's body so Dumbledore could catch him gently in his arms. He conjured up a stretcher and Astrid was gone. Astrid turned away from the sight of Harry's limp body, to see his faithful broomstick crash straight into the Whomping Willow. Astrid, without thinking, ran directly for it. She stood in front of it, and following the example of a ginger cat she saw a few nights ago, transformed, and prodded the knot in the tree with a slender, black paw.

The tree froze, and Astrid morphed back and set about picking up the pieces before the tree recovered. She managed to duck the flailing branches, running over to the sick bay to present the stick to Harry, and write a letter to her friends.

***

After Madam Pomfrey had given the OK, to release harry from the hospital wing, (Astrid had tried to cheer him up by sending him a muggle photo of Snape doing something I'd rather not mention. She had gotten a whole day's detention when Snape had found out what she had done.)

Then only good thing about returning to school for Astrid was that Professor Lupin was back.

The night before, when Astrid was pouring over a star chart for divination, she discovered something. Lupin was only sick on the _full moon. _That had to mean-

Astrid shook herself from that thought, but it stayed with her. So she pulled out a parchment, and wrote to her father. She borrowed a stray owl so she wouldn't attract attention. She sat on the windowsill and watched the owl fly into the night's sky.

Chapter 9 - The Christmas Surprise

Astrid awoke on Christmas morning to find a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed. 

There was new pack of Dungbombs and a list of new ways to annoy people (Mingle and Prowler had obviously been brainstorming), some sweets, trading cards, and book on broomsticks and physics from Harry, Hermione and Ron - and a surprise present. 

Astrid tore open the packaging. Inside was a crystal orb. She lifted it up and read the inscription written on the side. _To enhance the Inner eye of the budding Predictor! _Astrid sighed happily. There was only one person who would buy something this expensive - her father. 

A horrible thought struck Astrid. Harry, Ron and Hermione don't know about Sirius innocence. She had better keep the orb hidden until he is proved innocent. 

She stuffed the orb under her bed, vowing to use it that night. 

She ran up to the owlery to where Comet was sleeping peacefully. 

"Wake up." Said Astrid, poking her owl. Comet opened her eyes slowly.   
"Can you deliver some presents for me please?" She asked her lazy pet. Comet could fly extremely fast - when she felt like it. Comet sat up and Astrid tied a book on Dementors and Patronuses (?) for Harry, a book named _Communicate psychically with you pet. _And for Ron, a book named _Have a voice of your own. _She watched Comet fly down to Harry and Ron's dorm, and took Hermione's book with her down to her dorm. 

"Hey Herm." Greeted Astrid. 

Hermione looked at Astrid from under the pile of wrapping paper where Crookshanks was chasing a bewitched piece of wrapping paper. Astrid couldn't help herself. She dived in right after Crookshanks, and they were soon pawing at each other, Crookshanks licking her face. 

"Ahem." Said Hermione. Astrid looked up and her white face turned pink. 

"Oh, sorry Hermione." Said Astrid getting up from the floor, rubbing off cat hairs. 

"What was that??" She shrieked. 

Astrid sighed. And pulled up her nightgown to reveal a tail. Hermione gasped. 

"What's that?" 

Astrid sighed again and quickly thought up a lie. "It's a recessive gene." She said. 

Hermione cocked her head looked at her for a second. Then, smiled slightly. 

"I never knew my parents, so I don't know if they have it to." Astrid said, feeling guilty that she was lying when Hermione only wanted to help her. 

"Hey!" Called a voice. Astrid whirled around to face Harry and Ron. 

"Thanks for the presents, Orion." Grinned Harry. "I'm sure it will come in handy. Professor Lupin said he would give me anti-Dementor lessons. Want to see what I got?" 

Ron interrupted. "It's a firebolt!" He announced proudly. 

"Wow!" Said Astrid, impressed. "D'you know who sent it?"

Harry shook his head. "Nah, it didn't come with a tag." 

Hermione looked mortified. "Excuse me." She bustled out of the room. Astrid heard with her ears, Hermione climbing out of the common room. 

A few minutes later, she returned with Professor McGonagol. 

"What's this Potter?" She asked, looking at the new broomstick.

"Someone sent this to me, Professor." Answered Harry. 

"Do you know who sent it?" Harry shook his head. "What about you, Miss Black?" She demanded. 

Astrid blinked and shook her head. 

McGonagol considered her, then asked the others. They also shook their heads. 

McGonagol confiscated Harry's firebolt. (Hermione's excuse? "Its for your own good.") Astrid thought it wasn't fair, because she had a sneaking suspicion that her father was behind this. 

***

Sirius collapsed onto the bed with hangings, in the shrieking shack. A tiny owl had reached him just before he entered the Whomping Willow. No doubt it was from his daughter. With anticipation, he unfurled the parchment, and held it up.

Dad, 

How are you?

I'm good, I guess.

There's something I must ask you, though, is Professor Lupin a werewolf?

I remember you saying that someone called Moony was one of your good friends, (And when I looked into your mind, I saw an image of him) and I caught a look at a piece of parchment in Harry's robes, and it said, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. I know that you are Padfoot and Pettigrew is Wormtail, so is Professor Lupin, Moony? The Boggart turns into an 'orb' (by the way, thanx for that!!) otherwise known as the moon, whenever it sees him. Can I confide in him? Does he know of your innocence? The owl is outside waiting for you. 

Astrid

Sirius sighed. Astrid did have Iah's brains. He wrote a brief reply, and sent the owl on its way. 

***

"Hey, Orion! Look at this." Said Harry, excitingly, shoving an old piece of parchment into her hands. She read the heading: **Meers. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs Proudly Present the Marauders Map. **Padfoot. Her father had made this map. _And Harry's dad_She noted silently. She turned back to Harry and beamed. 

"That's really cool Harry. Mingle and Prowler are coming to Hogwarts next year. Do you mind if I tell them about it." 

Harry looked at her, confused.

"Oh," She remembered. "They're my friends. Prowler's real name is Jane and Mingle's is Renee." 

Harry shrugged, all of a sudden looking quite uncomfortable. "Sure." 

Astrid's physic instincts instantly attacked. "Is this how you've been getting Hogmeade?" She asked slyly. 

Harry must've decided to play dumb, because he was franticly shaking his head, no doubt thinking up excuses. 

"Its ok, Harry." She said soothingly. "I don't have a permission slip either." She whispered. She smiled secretly at Harry, then grabbed the map and studied it, as if nothing had happened. 

Astrid's eyes darted around the map. She saw Hermione pacing around the library, Snape in the dungeons - and an uninvited guest was scampering around her commonroom - Peter Pettigrew. Astrid's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

Chapter 10 - Trouble Brewing

Astrid happily got stuck into her Christmas lunch. As she sat with Ron, Harry and Hermione, she told them all about the pranks that she her friends used to play.

"--And there was this one time, right, when we snuck out at night and got some stuff from a muggle joke shop. Those poor teachers who had never done muggle studies before were virtually pulling their hair out! Especially the one that got the bewitched self inflating invisible whoppy cushion!" She commented, wistfully.

That evening, Astrid had received an answer from her father. 

Astrid

Yes, Professor Lupin is Moony (and a werewolf) - you sure have your mother's brains. I hope you liked your Christmas present - it was the only gift that seemed appropriate. Don't tell Moony about me, Starlight, he still thinks that I killed Lily and James. Don't approach him about it, their deaths hit him hard and the next thing you know, you'll be in the Ministry of Magic getting charged for whatever crime Fudge can think of - we Blacks are outcasts because of what Peter did.

Hope to see you soon, Starlight

Dad 

***

"Miss Black! Did you hear me!" Snape slapped his wand across Astrid's deck, nearly snapping it. 

Astrid looked at him blankly. 

"What did I just say?" Snape roared, little flecks of spit flying from his mouth. 

"Miss Black, did you hear me?" Astrid tried. Astrid could feeling laughter kin the air, though no one dared to so much as smile. "Ten points from Gryffindor!" He said, triumphantly. Snape turned around to praise a Slytheran for something, and Astrid poked her tongue out at his hunched back. 

Ron, Harry and Astrid exchanged silent high-fives. 

The Divination lesson was more amusing than educational for Astrid, having Professor Trelwany trying to puzzle out the lines on her hand. 

"You must be cursed!" She shrieked, her hand flying up to the sides of her face. "Anyone who has a palm that then Inner Eye can't make sense of must be cursed!" Patil and Lavender edged away from Astrid as she studied her own palm. She gave a short laugh and shrugged. She would ask her orb tonight. 

The DADA lesson was the one Astrid was looking forward to. Hermione seemed to be trying to tell her something for the entire lesson. When class was over, she rushed over to her. 

"Did you know that Professor Lupin was a werewolf?" Hermione asked, sounding shocked.  
"Yeah, of course I knew ages ago." She shrugged ignoring the look on Hermione's face - an expression she would only use while observing a superior's piece of work. 

Astrid shrugged once, more and shouldered her book bag, wanting to wish Harry luck for his Patronus lesson. 

***

It was a while since anything interesting had happened at Hogwarts - which usually meant that something big was brewing. Nothing, that is until the night Neville lost his list of passwords to Gryffindor tower. Harry had bounded into the commonroom.

"Orion, Orion! I got my firebolt back!" He exclaimed, holding the broomstick out like a proud child who had got every question right on a hard exam. Hermione looking up from her pile of books surrounding her. "It might've been bewitched!" She pouted. This sprouted a rather large fight between her and Harry until-- "Look! Look!" Ron cried dragging behind a bed cover. 

"Crookshanks has eaten Scabbers, look!" On the bed cover was blood, accompanied with several long, spickey, ginger hairs. 

***

Sirius Black, sat in the Shrieking Shack, pondering his next move against Peter. As if on cue, Crookshanks appeared. Sirius transformed so he and the cat could converse. The cat appeared more disgruntled than usual, if that were possible. 

What's wrong? Padfoot finally asked, fed up with the cat's sulky mood.

I tried to get to Peter, and he jumped on me and pulled some of my fur out, while I was trying to shake him off, he sunk his teeth into me and my blood and hair went onto Peter's owner's bed sheet. Peter ran away, and now everyone thinks I ate him! Lying, cheating, vermin! Crookshanks wined, loudly. Padfoot grinded his dog fangs. 

Oh yeah, The cat said in a lighter mood. I managed to steal these for you. 

The cat turned his back to Padfoot showing a slightly bloodstained list. Its this week's passwords to Gryffindor tower. If you find that rat, give him one for me! The cat shook its head and the list fell onto the floor. With that, it disappeared. 

***

One the day of the big match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, Astrid was on a new high. She couldn't wait to see Ravenclaw smashed by Gryffindor, though at the same time, worried about how Harry, Ron and Hermione's friendship problems were going to affect Harry's performance in the match. She was quite confident that Crookshanks didn't eat Peter. She had asked the cat herself. The rat had escaped again. But, she couldn't let on what she knew, lest she give away her true identity. 

Harry and Ron had been away for a while because Ron was trying out the firebolt. So Astrid and Hermione did their homework, then tried some excises with the book that Astrid had given her. 

That night, Astrid, sitting between Ron and Hermione, was on the edge of her seat. So much, that she was no longer sitting on her seat, rather in mid air. She managed to get a laugh out of them both, before their attention was drawn to Harry, who had led the other Seeker, Cho, in another direction and was heading for the Snitch. 

Just then, three hooded 'Dementors' were on the pitch. Astrid wanted to tell Harry that they weren't Dementors, but fakes. But if she did that, everyone would think she was helping Harry, and they would lose. Harry didn't waste any time and launched a stag-shaped Patronus at them. _A stag...James! He's conjured James' animagi form! _Just as she was getting riled up, it was discovered that it was Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle under those cloaks. The Snitch was caught by Harry, just as he sent out the Patronus and the game was over.

Astrid, Ron and Hermione ran down (or in Astrid's case, floated down) and gave Harry great hugs and cheers. They had a good laugh at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, before going up to their dorms, and turning in for the night after partying with the rest of the Gryffindors.

That night, Astrid had a very strange dream - she dreamt that her, her father and Peter were standing in Harry and Ron's dorm. Before she could even blink, Peter was diving on top of Harry yelling something. Harry disappeared as Peter landed on him. Sirius gave a scream of rage and ran over to attack Peter, but at that moment, Professor McGonagol and Hermione came in. As her father was being dragged away by Hit Wizards, Astrid could hear Hermione's voice _"Its for your own good..."_

Astrid woke up in a puddle of sweat as she heard Ron's terrified voice scream: "AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

While everyone else ran out to see what the fuss was, Astrid slapped the palm of one had onto her forehead. She already knew what had happened. Her father wasn't making this any easier for himself.

Nobody slept in Gryffindor tower that night. Everyone except Astrid were wondering if Sirius Black had struck again. Astrid was wondering if her father had been caught again. She didn't dare go out on the prowl that night, but decided to give her friends an update. By the light of a solidary candle, Astrid wrote a very detailed letter. It was the most emotional letter she had ever written, and hoped that her friends wouldn't notice the salt-water splashes on the page, blurring some ink. 

__

"That git, Sir Cadogan was sacked," She wrote. _"And the Fat Lady is back. I feel sorry for the kid who wrote down all the passwords - he's a squib, you see. Anyway, I'm going to Hogmeade for the first time tomorrow, I don't have a permission slip but I'll get round that. Harry has this map and you'll never _ever _in a million years guess who wrote it. The Four Marauders!! That's my father, Harry's father, Professor Lupin (a teacher here) and Peter Pettigrew. On the map, you can see where everyone is in the castle, and you won't believe who I saw on there the other day - Peter Pettigrew, the traitor. I don't dare tell Dad, though, because he'll just run up here, regardless of who saw him. I haven't seen him, but my psychic senses have reached their limits because I've been searching for him all day. Do you think that the fact that I've seen Pettigrew, and Ron's rat has gone missing have something to do with each other? Oops, I gtg now, one of the teachers has come in. I expect they're still searching for Dad. _

See you at Hogmeade..." 

"Hey, Harry..." Astrid asked, shyly. 

"Yeah?" He asked oblivious to her charm. 

"Can I please use the map to get into Hogmeade? I'm meeting some friends there, you see." 

"Sure, you'll have to go under the invisibility cloak, though."

Astrid thought about being under a stuffy blanket with Harry for the entire trip to the Shrieking Shack. Even though she could easily use her powers, she decided to humour Harry and make him think that he was doing something important for her. 

"OK." Astrid smiled. 

***

Sirius Black awoke from a slumber of dull nightmares. Memories of what he had done the night before came flooding back to him. He groaned and rolled over. The cat had returned. 

What is it? Padfoot asked. 

The cat actually looked ashamed, then went on to say Your daughter is a clever one. She knows about Peter. 

So? Padfoot asked lazily. She knew when she first met me.

The cat hissed loudly. No! I mean she knows that the red headed kid's rat is Peter! 

Padfoot groaned outtold as he changed back into a man. The last thing he wanted was his kid going and getting killed over something like this. 

***

"Hurry up, Harry." Said Astrid impatiently as they walked causally down to the one eyed witch. 

Harry whipped out his wand and tapped the statue. Saying the right word, they climbed into what felt like a large, deep pit. 

"Lumos." Whispered Harry and a small ball of flames lit the area. 

They walked for ages. Astrid was suffocating under the cloak. 

"Can I take this off, Harry? We don't need it down here." Astrid threw the cloak off her shoulders and took a deep breath of partly fresh air. "Whew. That's better." She said, grinning by the wand's light. 

They pushed up the trap door and crawled out. This proved very difficult, because there were 2 people. Astrid helped out by turning invisible and climbing out herself then creeping back under when Harry was upright again. 

"Are you OK, Orion? I thought I'd felt you slip out from under it." 

"Weird!" Said Astrid, glad that Harry couldn't see her blushing face. 

Walking slowly, the pair disappeared behind a large row of sweets and glided over to where Ron was waiting for them. 

"Hey." Said Harry, prodding Ron in the back. 

"Hey." Whispered Ron. "Is Orion there?" 

"Yo." She grinned. "I need to send an owl. Let's go to the post office please."

Astrid and Harry walked into a ladies toilet cubicle and Astrid emerged. 

"OK?" Asked Harry. Astrid smiled and gave the thumbs up. Harry, still under the cloak, walked out first with Astrid trailing a few steps behind. 

While Ron looked at prices of owls, Astrid attached the long letter she wrote a few nights ago to Prowler and Mingle. She didn't want it to look suspicious with Comet always going to see them a lot more often. She kissed the owl for good luck and it flew off. They all walked over to s shady part of the office and Astrid crept back under the cloak. 

Zonko's was next on the list. Astrid and Harry whispered orders to Ron and passed him the money. 

As they passed the Shrieking Shack, Astrid stared at it. When Harry asked what it was, she almost burst out that she missed her father and wanted to see him again. She managed the catch herself in time, busissing herself with the arrival of Draco and his 2 body guards, Crabbe and Goyle. 

"Leave them to me." Said Harry. He and Astrid, who had turned herself invisible just in case something happened, crept up behind Draco and spattered him with mud. Astrid had to silence herself with a spell to stop her from laughing so hard. 

Ron was almost exploding and Astrid wished she was smart enough to bring her polaroids camera. 

They weren't laughing, however, when the cloak slipped off Harry's face. Astrid nearly gasped out loud, coming close to giving herself away.

"AGH!" Cried Harry, pulling the cloak back over his head. He and Astrid ran back down the trapdoor in Honeydukes, not stopping until they were safely out of the passages and standing next to the one eyed witch. They stood there, gasping for breath. 

"Orion," Rasped Harry. "You'd better go up, no fair to you...it was my fault because I made you come with me to Hogsmeade..."

"Harry..." Astrid began.

"No! Go on!" He breathed. Astrid could hear the angry steps of Snape coming this way. Without even realising, she reached over and kissed him quickly on the cheek.

She smiled. "For luck." Astrid sped up to Gryffindor tower, just in time. 

*** 

Astrid look one look at the map and burst out laughing. Harry had just brought it down after his encounter with Snape and Lupin. _Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor. _

Good ol' Dad. She thought, silently. Astrid looked up from the map and into three very grave faces.

"What is it?" She asked. Maybe her Dad had been found. 

"Buckbeak is going to be executed." Said Hermione solemnly.

__

God, is that all? "Who? That hippogriff that kicked Draco?"

"Yeah, that's it." 

Astrid swore in seven different languages. She had plans for that hippogriff. When that time was right, she was going to let her Dad escape on it. But now, that was impossible. She would have to think up another escape plan. 

Ron, Harry and Hermione, however, seemed very upset. They were very close friends with Hagrid, she knew. She was friendly with him, but didn't know him well enough to consider him a friend.

"Ron," Cried a tear-streaked Hermione. _Drum roll please..._ "I'm sorry about Scabbers!" She blurted out.

"Oh-well-he was old.." He began. Astrid was steamed up to even notice Harry looking at her suspiciously. 

***

"G'night." Grinned Orion at Harry. He gave a half smile and waved. She did to in an embarrassed fashion. 

"Hey, Ron," Said Harry as they were getting ready for bed that night. He had just completed a paper for Herbology and was extremely tired. But even in his almost vegetable-like state, he managed to notice something.

"Hmm?" Replied Ron, searching under his bed for a book he had borrowed the library. 

"Do you think that there's something strange about Orion?" He asked. 

"We're all weird Harry." Ron laughed. "I mean, you're the boy who lived and the only guy I know, who defeated You-Know-Who at the age of one, Hermione is a muggle but she's smarter than most purebloods and I'm-well-me." He smirked. 

Harry shrugged back. "Yeah, I guess. What's a little weirdness among friends." There was silence as they both looked at each other for a few minutes, then exploded with laughter. 

"But, seriously, what was it you were saying about Orion?" Said Ron, interested. 

"Well, its nothing really. But when we were in Hogmeade, I felt Orion slip out underneath the cloak. I felt around and she was really not there. But, get this, I still couldn't see her. I felt her get back under an she denied ever get out from underneath it. The same thing happened when I attacked Malfoy and was running away."

Ron blinked and chewed his bottom lip in deep thought. 

"And," Harry continued. "She wasn't that least surprised when Black almost killed you AND when he broke into the tower." 

"Do you think she's in with Black?"

"I don't know, but it look that way."

"She doesn't _seem _like she wants to kill you..."

"Let's leave it for now. If she still acting weird again, we'll turn her in." 

Ron considered. "OK, that sounds fair." 

***

"Where's Hermione?" Asked Astrid as she and Ron were walking down a flight of stairs from Chrams. "Don't tell me you didn't see her at all during Charms??" 

Ron looked around as if he expected to see Hermione drifting behind them. There was someone following them and it was Harry.

"You seen Hermione?" Asked Ron, hurriedly, pushing his way through a group of 7th years.

Harry looked mildly surprised. "Nope. I thought she was with you." 

"Eh, knowing all the work that she's doing, she probably fell asleep."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Wouldn't be surprised." 

They found her in the commonroom after lunch. Just as Astrid had predicted, she was asleep.

A very nasty little smirk appeared on her face.

She leaned over to Hermione's ear.

"WAKE UP!" She shrieked.

Hermione gave a small squeal of surprise.  
"Orion!" She laughed, wearily. Hermione yawned and said, "What class is it now?"

"We've got the old bat, Trelawney in 20 minutes. You completely missed Charms, where were you?"

"Oh no!" She cried, and started to get up. Astrid tugged at her sleeve. 

"Herm, if you're that tired, catch up on your rest, and I'll teach it to you tomorrow." 

Hermione beamed, grateful, her head touched the desk and she was snoring lightly. 

Astrid yawned as Trelawney paced in front of her. Patil and Lavender had refused to even sit within 30 meters of her, due to the incident when they were studying palms.

"Welcome." Said the Old Bat in a spooky voice. 

Astrid sighed loudly. Ron looked in her direction and sniggered. Astrid's mind drifted along until one phrase snapped her out of LaLa Land.

"Today, we will be studying the art of reading crystal balls."

__

Oh, cool. I can observe what she does, and do the opposite with my ball. 

Astrid quickly paired up with Hermione, and Harry with Ron.

"Well, one thing's for sure." Said Hermione, taking one look into her ball. 

"What's that?" Asked Astrid, suddenly interested.

"When I look into the ball, all I see is-- Waiiiiit a minute....Wow! Orion, I can see something!"

Astrid was suddenly worried. "What?" She asked urgently.

"I see...a large black dog and a black cat running side by side."

"Indeed?" Came the voice of the old bat. Both Hermione and Astrid jumped at the sound of her voice.

She leaned over and looked into it. A soft shriek came from the back of her throat.

"This class has the worst luck I've ever Seen! Two students have the Grims in their balls."

****

(A/N: Yes, I know this sounds sick!!)

Everyone except Hermione, Ron and Harry, edged away from her.

"Ah, for crying out loud...." Astrid muttered under her breath..

"Not that ridiculous Grim again!?" Cried Hermione.

Everyone turned around to look at her. 

"I'm outta here!" Hermione cried again, stuffing _Unfogging the Future _into her bag. She stood up and charged through the door as if the room was fire, slamming the door with considerable force. 

Chapter 11 - "Its about time." 

Astrid looked out the window, expecting a reply any moment from Mingle and Prowler.

Harry was out at Quiditch practise, Hermione was juggling all those subjects and Ron was reading books about an appeal for the hippogriff that was sentenced to death. 

Astrid yawned once more, taking one more look around the dorm to make sure that she was the rooms only occupant. She drove under her bed and retrieved her orb.

She stared into the orb for a while, Seeing nothing, until she remembered the inscription booklet that came with the orb. Mentally slapping herself and still clutching the orb she crept under the bed, searching for the book.

"Orion?" Came the somewhat muffled voice of Hermione.

"Yeah?" Replied Astrid, her voice equally as muffled. She pushed the orb to the far back of the depths of the darkness under her bed and crawled out, her long black hair now looking like someone had swept the entire castle with her head.

"I was...looking for a boggart?" She tried sheepishly.

Hermione dismissed it and looked at Astrid. 

"I...I was just thinking about what I saw in you ball." She Hermione, looking exhausted, as if she had mulling over the subject for some time now.

"Orion, just...please promise that you won't do anything stupid, like go looking for Black? Besides we have lots of work to--"

Astrid held up her hand in a gustier to quieten Hermione. 

"I can promise that I won't go looking for trouble. But I can't promise that I won't fight back if trouble goes looking for me OK?" Astrid looked up and Hermione who was considering this.

She nodded. Then got up as if to leave the room, but instead threw her arms around Astrid.

"Orion," She said quietly. "I care about you. So does Ron and Harry. They talk about how much they care. Please don't go and get yourself killed or something equally stupid."

"I promise." Smiled Astrid.

A tear-streaked Hermione look triumphantly into Astrid's eyes, then turned and walked out of the room. 

As the door closed, Astrid stared at it. She drove her face into her pillow. How could she stay out of trouble?? Her dad was on the run from the law, and Hermione was talking about saving her own neck? How could she fulfil both obligations? While mulling this over, Astrid didn't even notice the tears trickling down her face, which was still buried in the pillow.

Everybody's nerves were on the verge of breaking because of the Gryffindor vs Slytherian match. 

Astrid was confident that Gryffindor would win - though Harry wasn't sure. Astrid knew what Harry was going through, Prowler was the Seeker at Rising Phoenix, Astrid was Beater and Mingle was Chaser. Weyr, more often than not, was hiding her eyes from the match because she thought that it was too violent. Astrid had been thrown off the team for being accused of using her physic abilities to manipulate the Bludges to make them hit people. Astrid had never done that of course - it was a serpent who had accused her of it. 

The student wasn't seen for a while. She was found tongue-tied and Body-Binded in a tree a month later. 

"Go, Go, Go!!" Screamed Ron enthusically. 

"Wahoo!" Cheered Astrid, as Harry took a nose dive after the Snitch.

Hermione glanced at Astrid and gave her a secret smile. Astrid felt like she was going to be sick. She had forgotten entirely, her promise to Hermione. While she was thinking this over, Harry had zoomed after the Snitch, with Malfoy hanging off the back of his broom. 

A little while later, when the tension was heating, Astrid spotted the Snitch. She pointed it out to Ron and Hermione as Harry dived after it and caught it.

Astrid was beside herself was joy and did a rather haphazardly victory dance.

"We won the Cup! We won the Cup!" Was all She could hear from the Gryffindors. Astrid smiled happily. If only her father could be free. Then her day would complete. Right now, she had exams to pass.

***

Astrid looked at Hermione's timetable. During breakfast. It seemed to have a lot ore writing on it than her's did.

"Are you sure this timetable is accurate, Herm?" She asked.

"What?" Came her reply, as Hermione as busy, reading a letter about Buckbeak's appeal date. 

"N...Nothing." 

"Hmmm..." Muttered Astrid as she carefully observed her tortoise. It still had the same flowery pattern it did when it was a teapot. Astrid snapped her fingers in frustration. 

__

Damn... She thought silently. She quickly made the tortoise back into a teapot, and prepared to try again. There. That was the best she could do. A nice wood-grain look on the shell would do nicely.

Astrid's cheering charm was really getting on her nerves. She had taught Hermione the charm, but she didn't like begin all happy and cheerful. It wasn't her. She _liked _being the Human Dementor. 

Thankfully, Professor Flitwick anoucened the exam was over and Astrid returned to her usual self.

Astrid was almost asleep when it was time for her Care of Magical Animals exams. But she needn't had worried. It was the most easy exam she had ever done. 

Astrid hated Flubberworms. Cats are natural enemies to the Flubberworm. 

"Yech." Said Harry, holding up Flubberworm a the very end of its tail, with his forefinger and thumb.

"I agree with you whole fartidly." Said Astrid. They both looked at each other and cracked up laughing. **(A/N: The crack Astrid made is taken off South Park) **

While Astrid was making sure her worm didn't commit sucicide by jumping in a ditch, she half listened to Hargid about the hippogriff's appeal. It didn't look good. 

Astrid was so relieved when she realised that the exams were almost over. Only two more to go - and she wouldn't need to study for the last one, Divination, which meant all she had to do, was brush up on her boggart skills of the DADA exam and she would be just fine.

Astrid watched enviously as Harry made it through the obstacle course with no problems. 

__

He's going to make a great Auroa...She though as Moony praised him and gave him full marks.

Ron was going strong too, until the Hinkypunk successfully confused him into sinking waist high in the quagmire.

Hermione was also going to strong - until she met with the Boggart. 

"Professor McGonagal! She said I failed everything!!" 

It took a while to calm her down. 

Lastly, Astrid. While she was wading into the swamp, she could hear Minister Fudge talking to Harry, Herm, and Ron and the hippogriff's appeal.

"Please, stay on task, Miss Black." Scolded Moony.

"Sorry, M-Professor Lupin." She caught herself, but in time for Moony gave her a surprised look, then a hard stare. Astrid waded through the Grindylows, crossed the potholes full pf Red Caps, squelched across marsh, ignored the Grindylow and prepared to face the Boggart. Without a seconds hesitation, the Boggart transformed into a rat. 

"Riddikulus!" She shrieked, putting the Boggart into a pair of Winnie the Pooh pyjamas. 

****

(A/N: Die Winnie the Pooh!! DIIIIEEEE!!!)

Moony chuckled and put the Boggart away. Astrid could tell that he was going to question her about called in him by his nickname.

"Thanks Professor! I have to go and study for my Divination exam!" She smiled, waved and sprinted off towards the castle.

"Come in." Said the silky voice of the Old Bat, as it echoed up the corridor. Astrid gulped and climbed into a small, stuffy room where Professor Trelawney was sitting behind and crystal ball, and, Astrid was pleased to see, as far away from her as possible.

Astrid sat down and took deep breath to focus her energy. She closed her eyes, opened them, and gazed right into the orb. 

"What do you See?" Came the voice of the Old Bat again. _I wish I could See your head impaled on a stick..._ Astrid thought silently. She moved closer towards the orb. 

"I See a tall man with black, scruffy hair. I See a large black cat and an orange cat slinking around together in the forbidden forest. I See a rat, scampering across the floor of the Shrieking Shack..."

"Good heavens, child!" Old Bat screamed. "If you can't See anything, you tell me. You make up some make believe story!? Rats and Cats indeed! But did you See the Grim? I will have to take that into account."

Astrid left the examination room in lower spirits than she had when she entered. 

"Orion!" Called Harry. Astrid whirled around to face Harry.

"Yo?" She asked.

Harry quietly told her about Professor Trelawney's prediction.

"--And then she began normal again and couldn't remember any she'd said." Finished Harry.

"Hmm..." Mulled Astrid.

"Anyway," Said Harry, just as softly. "We're going down to Hagrid's Hut. Buckbeak's going to be executed."

"All of you?" She asked.

"Yep." Replied Harry, sadly.

"I...I'm so sorry Harry..." Began Astrid. 

"It's no problem - I...Uh...Better be going. See you later on tonight."

"Yeah, bye." 

As Harry left, Astrid walked up to Gryffindor tower, not paying attention to anything except thinking about the Old Bat's prediction. 

***

Padfoot waited patiently for the ginger cat Where is that cat? He thought to himself.

A flash of ginger caught his eye, and the cat appeared.

So what's the plan? It asked.

Well, Padfoot began. We both know that the hippogriff is going to be executed, right? And we also know that the hippogriff's owner, Hagrid is a good Harry's, right? So tonight, when Harry's down there, I'm going to bring them down here and tell them the truth.

What has all this got to do with me? The cat asked, bored.

They don't know how to get into the Shack. You need to show them. Also, you need to distract them so I can lead them to here.

The cat considered this for a long time. OK, count me in. Anything to get back at that miserable rat.

***

Astrid gazed out of her dorm window. _Peter must be making a break for it tonight._Astrid decided. 

Turning herself invisible, she wandered down to Hagrid's Hut. Nothing. Only the gentle wind blowing through the trees for company. _Well, as long as I'm here, I might as well go hunting..._ Thought Astrid, changing into a black cat and dived into a clump of trees. 

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat!" Ron! That was Ron's voice!!

She pelted down to where the voice was coming from-- Only to see a large, black dog, dragging Ron into the Shrieking Shack. _Humph. Why does Hermione always get all the fun? _She thought grumpily. 

Crookshanks darted out and helped Harry and Hermione go in. Astrid could've sworn that for a second, those yellow, flashing eyes were fixed on her. Then he disappeared into the tunnel.

A few moments later, Dumbledore, McNair, Fudge and the old Committee member walked up to the castle. Astrid's mind raced, should she tell them? _No, better not. Fudge would have Dad executed on the spot...But wait a sec--they've left the cloak behind! _Sure enough, there it was, lying glittering by the Whomping Willow. Astrid sighed and lay down on the ground, pondering what had just happened. She was lost in her thoughts, when the distant thud of feet told her that she wasn't alone. She turned, to see Moony, running down towards the Willow. He picked up a large stick and jammed it in the knot. The tree froze and Moony climbed down. _I have to go in! I just have to! _Astrid lept up, about to run towards the Willow, when she saw a very tipsy Hagrid walking on the grounds, a large bottle, swinging from his hand. _Crap! I was almost seen! _

It wasn't long before she saw Snape making his way down the grounds. _Snape?? What's the turd got to do with all this??_ But as he dashed past her she remembered. _Of course! The old Whomping Willow prank when Dad was 16...but surely Snape doesn't hold grudges that long ago? _

Astrid gritted her teeth as he picked up the invisibility cloak. _Grrrrr...._ She growled. He picked up the same stick that Moony used and disappeared. 

Astrid sat on the trees, keeping a watch out for anyone else who might be coming. Nobody did, until--

She saw Moony, Ron and Pettigrew clambering up from inside the Willow. Astrid was overjoyed. _They did it! I can finally leave the orphanage! I can finally--_ But what she was thinking, she forgot the next moment, as Lupin went all stiff. _Oh shit!! The full moon!! _Astrid watched, awe struck as Moony transformed. "Wow..." She breathed. 

While everyone was distracted with Moony's transformation, they didn't notice Pettigrew transforming. _I've got to get Pettigrew! _Springing forward with all her energy, she landed right on his tail. Pettigrew gave a squeek of pain and Astrid quickly picked him up in her mouth. Fighting the cat's urge to eat it, she ran flat out up to the castle. She glanced behind her and saw a whole horde of Dementors gliding up towards Sirius. _Dad!! Nooooo!! _Before she knew what she was doing, Astrid had transformed into her unregistered body-- a black shaggy dog. She pounded up to the Dementors and transformed back. 

Poising her hand like a wand she shrieked "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!" A large, bear-like dog appeared from thin air. The Dementors all moved away and the warmth came back into the air. She saw another figure moving towards her. 

__

What's going on? 

"Who's there!?" Barked a angry voice. Not wanting to find out who it was, Astrid transformed and went up to the commonroom, where she watch everything. She watched and saw Snape walked up to the unconscious forms of Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione. Pettigrew was wriggling furiously in Astrid's hands. "No you don't.." She said, conjuring up a rat cage and stuffing Peter inside it. _I have to tell Dumbledore! _She thought urgently. Tearing her eyes from the scene, she picked up Pettigrew and dashed off.

***

Sirius sat, miserable, in Flitwick's office. He had tried so hard for his freedom, only to have it snatched away again. He hoped that where ever Pettigrew was, he was suffering a great deal. 

When Dumbledore had arrived, Sirius had told him everything. The animagus, his daughter, his recent escapades in the Shrieking Shack; everything. After he had left Sirius stretched out on the floor, with his ear pressed to the door. He only heard sounds of people talking, but not the words. But, there was one part of the conversation, he didn't need to be listening intently for.

"...YOU HAVEN'T! YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!!" That was Harry. Good old Harry, trying to help his godfather out, when his godfather couldn't even keep hold of a stupid rat...

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!!" 

Great. Leave it to Snape to convince them that he had put a spell on Harry and his friends. Sirius snorted. Suddenly--

"PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE! PLEASE, I NEED TO SEE PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!!" 

That was his Starlight! Still listening, he heard raised voices. There was silence and the gentle thud of soft footsteps. The door flung open and Sirius tenseness "DAD!" Astrid flung her arms around her dumbfounded father. Surprised, Sirius hugged back. 

"Starlight? What happened?" 

"Dad, you know when Moony transformed and Pettigrew dashed into the brush? Well, I caught him and brought him up here!" 

"Really??" Sirius gasped, the information finally sinking into his brain. 

"Yeah!" 

"Miss Black..." Came the voice of Dumbledore. Astrid quickly stood up. The smiling face of Dumbledore came into view. "Well done, Miss Black."

"Did Fudge believe you this time?" Asked Astrid, urgently.

"Yes, he did. When Mr Weasly has woken up, we will take the correct procedre in clearing your name, Sirius. You shall have custody of Harry and Astrid before the day is out."

"Wahooo!!" Yelled Astrid hugging her dad for all she was worth. 

"Dad," She began. "Please promise me that you won't go off getting framed for murder again? I wouldn't be able to take it, a second time!" 

"No problem, Starlight. I promise."

"Miss Black, I suggest that you go down to Harry and Miss Granger and fill them in. I'll wager that they are feeling quite confused right now."

Astrid beamed. "Of course Professor! I'm on it!" 

She lept up and dashed out of the room. 

"She is your female version, Sirius. Please take good care of her."

"Of...Of course, Albus." 

"Harry! Hermione!" Called Astrid, as she skidded around a corner.

"Orion? What are you doing here?" Asked a very puzzled Harry Potter.

"Please guys, call me Astrid. Its my real name." 

"A...Astrid?? Why?"

"Because it was changed from Astrid to Orion when my father was convicted and my identity need to be concealed."

"Are saying what I think you're saying?"

"That's right!" Astrid grinned. "You're looking at Astrid Black, daughter of Sirius and Iah Black." 

"Hey cool!" Smiled Hermione. 

"Thanks!" 

"Anyway, why is Sirius being released, I mean, I want him to be freed, but we have no proof--"

"Proof? Of course we have proof, Harry! When Pettigrew ran into the brush, I chased and caught him.

Now Dad has custody of both of us! You'll never have to see the Dursleys again!" 

Harry grabbed Astrid in a fierce hug. This summer was looking much better than the last two. 

A/N: Wahoo! Its finished! I would like to thank all the authors that reviewed all my parts! Every bit of praise kept me going! So please, after you've read this, could you please give me a little more confidence and maybe another idea of what you would like a fanfic written about before I start on another story? Please?

Boring Disclaimer: All HP characters belong to J K Rowling. Psycho, Prowler, Mingle, Weyr, Comet, the orphange and its characters, and any original characters I forgot to mention, (and the plot) are all mine!!


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